Modern truths may be revealed in ancient writings. Consider . . .

In the fifth century AD, at the beginning of the Dark Ages, St Patrick came to the land we now call Ireland. When he arrived, the place was a civilization of mixed Roman law and local customs; these customs being the basis of what we might call natural law: flowers bloom in the Spring, etc. The Roman power withdrew and the ancient laws remained, but St. Patrick arrived in Ireland with the Gospel of Christ.
Patrick held the powers-that-be in awe with his message of salvation and redemption. Yet, the locals were still quite entrenched in their ancient teachings of how things were to be done.
Then, one of the local Kings created a test; he put a bounty on the killing of one of St. Patrick’s followers. The King’s nephew, who was in jail at the time, said, “If you let me out, I will kill one of St. Patrick’s followers.” He was released from jail, took up his lance and hurled it at the group around St. Patrick. The lance hit and killed St. Patrick’s charioteer. Now came the problem. The ancient law said, “an eye for an eye,” the nephew should be put to death; but the Gospel said that if he atoned for the evil he did, the nephew should be spared.
St. Patrick explained that when the ancient law and the Gospel conflict, the Gospel will rule. But, in this case, there was no conflict. The nephew was put to death for his earthly evil and he will be saved in Heaven for his repentance. And Patrick did not stop there – he seized the teachable moment.
With the help of eight others, two other Saints, three Kings, a Scientist and two Poets, he resolved the contradictions between the Ancient laws of Ireland and the Gospel of Christ, working together between 438 and 441 AD. [Today, that document is called Ancient Laws of Ireland – Senchus Mor. It was later translated into English and published in 1865 primarily under the direction of W. Neilson Hancock.]
A major reason for the conflict resolution by St. Patrick was disclosed by their question as to how natural law can even fit with the Gospel. He showed them in Romans 2:14 “When Gentiles who have not the law do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law.” Hence, said Patrick, where the Gospel does not go, or has not yet gone, natural law prevails.
Now, one of the teachings of Senchus Mor should give us pause today, whether we believe or not. Paraphrasing in today’s idiom, “There are three conditions that bring down a civilization; plague, war, and the dissolution of verbal contract.” This last one does not mean lying. It means knowing that you are being lied to and failing to care. It would be like electing a person who you know is lying to you.
Our civilization has withstood the plague and the war and various excessive strains on verbal contract. But I pray we do not get the plague right now, because we will not withstand all three simultaneously. And the other two of the three are already upon us.